Automatic water feeding device



June 12, 1951 J. K. DUKAS AUTOMATIC WATER FEEDING DEVICE Filed March 10, 1948 TO WATER MAIN LINE FLEXIBLE HOSE COUNTER WEIGHT FLEXMLE H05! Elmo/MM, K

Patented June 12, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims. (01. 137-101) This invention relates to an automatic water y the water line thereof to release, any vacuum feeding device, and has for one of its objects the production of a simple and efficient means for maintaining a selected water level at all times in a steam -boiler or the like.

r A further object of this invention is thep'roduction of a simple and efficient valve control lever-actuating mechanism for automatically operating the water feed valve leading to a steam boiler or the like to maintain a constant water level in a boiler and thereby prevent the L boiler from going dry.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims. 1 V

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the automatic water feeding device, certain parts being shown in section; a

on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3-is a vertical sectional View taken'on line 3--3 of Figure 1 certain parts being broken I away;

on line 4--4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the lower connection of the pipe which communicates with the water shut-off tank.

By referring to the drawing in detail, it will and this valve I3 carries a transverse rocker barv or valve-actuating bar I4 which is fixed to'the Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken A self-closing water v Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken 0 valve I3 having ends extending laterally of op-" posite sides of the pipe II. Depending links, l5

are pivoted near the extremities of the bar [4 and are pivotally attached at their lower ends to the rocker bar or plate I6.

A T-connection I I is located below'the' valve I3 and is carried by the pipe II. This T-connection I1 is provided with a forwardly extending boss I8, which boss lB carries a pivot or pintle pin I9. This pin I9 anchors the upper end of the vertical tie bar to the boss l8 and pro-V H vides a pivot support for the rocker bar or plate I6, as shown in detail in Figure 2. A washer 2| preferably spaces the rocker bar or plate l6 from the tie bar 20. The T-connection ll carries 'a lateral, pipe 22 -to-which pipe 22 is connected a vacuum'exhaust pipe 23, the opposite end of theof the rocker plate I6.

suspended from the rocker bar or plate It by pipe 23 communicating with the boiler l0 above" which might accumulate in the tank 35, when the valve I3 is closed.

A second or lower rocker bar or plate 24 is.

pivotally mounted on a pin 25 carried near the 'lower end of the tie bar 20 and this pin 25 is anchored or threaded into the forwardly extending boss 25 of the lower feed pipe connection 21. A hand-operated control valve 28 is carried near the lower end of the pipe II below this lower feed pipe connection and the lower end of the pipe II is connected to the boiler Ill by pipe 29 below the normal water line of the boiler, preferably in close proximity to the bot- .tom of the boiler I ll, as shown in Figure l.

A vertical counterweight 30 is suspended from a link 3! which link is pivotally connected at 32 to the rocker bar or plate It. The lower end' of the counterweight 30 isconnected to the rocker arm or plate 24 by means of a link 33, at the end A water tank 35 is means of a pivoted link 35, which link is secured to theend of the rocker bar or plate It at the end 31 opposite the link 3|. The lower end of the tank 35 is connected to a link 38, which link 38 is connected to the rocker bar or plate 24 at the end 39 opposite the link 33. A pipe 40 is connected to the lower feed pipe connection 25 and extends laterally of the pipe II in the direction of the boiler ID, as shown in Figure 1,

A flexible hose 4! preferably of rubber, and of a sufiicient stiffness to retain a substantial horizontal position is secured at its end 42 to the pipe 40. The hose is extended laterally of the weight 3!] and the tank 35, and is looped around the weight and tank to encircle the same in a manner similar to that shown in Figure 2. The

opposite end of the hose 4| is connected to the bottom of the tank 35 and forms a communication between the pipe 40, the pipe I I and the tank The pipe 22 is connected to a hose 43 at its end 44, and is similar to the hose 4|. This hose 43 is extended laterally of the weight 30 and tank pipe 22 and the upper end of the tank 35 above ,1

the normal water line thereof.

The tie bar 20 is provided with an overhanging stop tongue 45 to the left of the pivot IQ for engagposition when swung in one direction. A similar stop tongue 46 is carried by the lower end of the tie bar 20 and extends under the rocker bar or plate 24 upon the left side of the pin 25 to limit the swing of the rocker bar or plate in one direction.

The operation of the device is as follows:

As the normal water level in the boiler H] falls, the water level in the tank 35 will also fall, since water will seek its own level and the water in the boiler l6 and tank will remain the same or approximately the same. The counterweight 3U weighs about four and one-half pounds, and the tank 35 when filled with water weighs considerably more than the counterweight 30. The relative difference in weight between the tank and counterweight may vary without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is important, however, that the tank 35, when filled or partly filled with water be sufiiciently heavy to overcome the weight of the counterweight 30. As the water level in the boiler 10 and tank 35 falls, so as to reduce its weight below the weight of the counterweight 30 i. e., four and one-half pounds, the rocker plates or bars H3 and 24 will be swung on their pivots l9 and 23 respectively as the tank 35 rises, with the lowering of the weight 30. Since the valve-actuating bar id is connected to the rocker bar or plate I6 by the links l and is keyed to the self-closing water feed valve [3, this valve l3 will be opened and water will flow through the valve I3 to fill the boiler H] and tank 35 to the desired water level. It should be noted that the tank 35 communicates with the main supply line I! below the valve 13 which controls the supply of water through this line to the tank 35. The third pipe 23, shown in Figure 1, releases any vacuum which may accumulate in the tank 35. When the water in the boiler l6 and tank 35 reaches the desired water level, the counterweight 39- will balance the weight of the now descending tank 35 moving the parts to the position shown in Figure 1. The valve l3 will then automatically close to provide an automatic and positive shut off for the main supply line H. It is preferable to provide this automatic valve [3, even though the movement of the rocker arm or valve-actuating bar i4 will tend to move the valve I3 to and from a closed position. Should any of the connecting links break, the valve will automatically cut off the water supply, thereby preventing the accidental flooding of the boiler Ill.

The present automatic water feeding device may be used with any desired type of mechanism for maintaining a constant water level. It may be used to advantage with the structure shown in my Patents #2,244,189 issued June 3, 1941, relating to Thermostatically Controlled Grates; and #2,l84,292 issued December 26, 1939, relating to Furnace Grates, as well as with the structures shown in the following applications: Boiler Construction filed March 3, 1947, Serial Number 731,948, and Ash-Removing Mechanism filed March 3, 1947, Serial Number 731,947.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a simple and efficient means is provided to maintain water at a constant level in a boiler and the like, thereby preventing the boiler from running dry and avoiding the necessity of an attendant manually actuating a supply means to refill the boiler to the desired level.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new 1s:

l. A device of the character described comprising, a boiler, a main water feed line having connection with the boiler, a control valve in said feed line, a horizontally disposed rocker bar fixed centrally of the length thereof to the actuating stem of said feed valve, a rocker plate horizontally disposed centrally beneath said rocker bar and pivotally suspended from the opposite ends of the rocker bar, a tank pivotally suspended from one end of the rocker plate, a counterweight suspended from the second end of the rocker plate, said tank having upper and lower flexible onnections with remote points in the main geed line intermediate the control valve and the oiler, and a stop means associated with the rocker plate to permit only a rising motion of the tank with a decrease in boiler water level and corresponding tank water level whereby the feed valve is opened by the rocker bar until the increase in water level restores the tank to its normal positionclosing the feed valve.

2. A device of the character described comprising, a boiler, a main water feed line having connection with the boiler, a control valve in said feed line, a horizontally disposed rocker bar fixed centrally of the length thereof to the actuating stem of said feed valve, a rocker plate horizontally disposed centrally beneath the rocker bar, said rocker plate being pivotally supported centrally of its length, rigid links pivotally interconnecting the extremities of the rocker bar with points on said rocker plate equally spaced on each side of the central pivot support thereof, a tie bar depending centrally from the rocker plate, a lower rocker plate pivoted centrally of the length thereof to the lower end of the tie bar, a tank pivotally suspended from the extremity of the upper rocker plate and having pivotal connection at its lower end with the lower rocker plate adjacent one end thereof, a counterweight pivotally suspended from the end of said upper rocker plate remote to the tank support and having pivotal connection with the second end of the lower rocker plate, said tank having upper and lower flexible connections with remote points in the main feed line intermediate the control valve and the boiler, and stop means associated with the upper and lower rocker plates restricting pivoting thereof to the raising of the tank above the plane of said counterweight with a decrease in the boiler water level and corresponding tank level for the purpose described.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said stop means includes a stop lug carried by said tie bar and disposed in engagement with the upper surface of the upper rocker plate above the counterweight, a stop lug carried by the lower extremity of the tie bar in engagement with the underside of the lower rocker plate beneath the tank, and an air exhaust line in open communication between the upper boiler and the upper flexible tank connection with the feed line for the purpose described.

JAMES K. DUKAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 226,021 Bergstrom Mar. 30, 18-80 1,087,999 Watres Feb. 24, 1914, 

